
AI-generated summary
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has gained strategic importance for energy exports due to trade restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Houthis captured territory near the town of Mocha in September.
Yemen’s Houthis attacked Aden’s international airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones on Wednesday, the country’s transport ministry said, as fighting between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed government forces intensified.
Fighting has been focused in recent days on areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a shipping route that has become more crucial for energy exports since the conflict between the US and Iran restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
This week, Yemeni government forces with Saudi-led coalition air support launched a counteroffensive to recapture strategic territory near the strait and around the town of Mocha that the Houthis had captured in September, but it is unclear if their advance will hold.

Malaysia's Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin reaffirmed the nation's non-alignment policy in cyberspace. However, analysts warn that heavy reliance on US and Chinese technology may complicate this stance amid escalating superpower tensions.

Arup Neogi, an India-born scientist, leads a photonics research team at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu. The institution has been on the US Entity List since 2012 due to alleged ties to China's nuclear program.

On the third anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel, German Chancellor Mertz reiterated Germany's firm support for Israel and emphasized that defending Israel's security is Germany's historical responsibility. Merz called for the establishment of a Palestinian state to achieve peace and pledged to resolutely combat growing anti-Semitism in Germany.

A Chinese consortium is set to construct the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge in Brazil, a 46.8km project slated for completion in 2031. A specialized piling ship from China Railway Construction Corporation has departed to assist with the construction.

The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to adopt a report advocating for a more aggressive stance toward China, citing Beijing's support for Russia and industrial policies deemed an 'existential threat' to the EU.

A Moscow museum previously dedicated to Stalin-era repression has been repurposed to promote idealized Soviet life, reflecting a broader Kremlin effort to rehabilitate the dictator and suppress critical historical narratives since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.